In this step, the teacher, at least initially, provides students with an article or issue to be explored and answered. Therefore, in the early stages of understanding scientific argumentation, teacher may model writing a claim and prompting the students of this claim.
As students become more familiar with scientific argumentation, they may identify a claim individually, in a small group, or in large group class discussions that begin the interactive, collaborative development and construction of understanding. Sources of claims that are worthy of consideration include laboratory activities, studies, videos, opinion pieces, community issues, and online sites. To promote and encourage student involvement, the teacher can build into the instruction ways that students can suggest a claim as they read a book, journal, article or online site, or discuss community problems that they consider worthy of discussion.
Often, important sources of issues about which claims are made are found in textbooks or assignments. Teachers may develop assignments or assessments that prepare students to respond to state standards. This will prepare students to present and defend conclusions they have reached as a result of doing an experiment or research project.
Relative to qualifiers, students should identify words or statements that the person making the claim has included that may let the reader or hearer know that the claim is true only under certain conditions. The author may use words or phrases like “sometimes,” “if,” “unless,” etc. or even absolute qualifiers such and “always,” or “never.” The claim may only be true for women or under certain experimental conditions identified. Note that anything listed in this section must have been presented by the author of the claim. Something the reader or hearer thinks of that counters or invalidates the claim they are considering would be listed later in Section 8 as a counterargument, rebuttal or new question.
The qualifiers are identified along with the claim because they might be part of the sentence containing the claim or a second sentence explaining the qualifier. For example, if a claim were made that, “The earth’s temperature will rise 3 degrees in 50 years,” then the limitation or qualifier listed somewhere in the statement is “unless we take action now,” that could be written as one sentence: “The earth’s temperature will rise 3 degrees in 50 years (claim) unless we take action now” (qualifier).
Qualifiers may be presented close to the claim, later in the article or speech, or may, in fact, be implied. Close analysis is necessary to find limitations and qualifiers. They are, however, important to identify. They may be particularly important to identify in a student’s own presentation of findings related to an experiment or research.
As students become more familiar with scientific argumentation, they may identify a claim individually, in a small group, or in large group class discussions that begin the interactive, collaborative development and construction of understanding. Sources of claims that are worthy of consideration include laboratory activities, studies, videos, opinion pieces, community issues, and online sites. To promote and encourage student involvement, the teacher can build into the instruction ways that students can suggest a claim as they read a book, journal, article or online site, or discuss community problems that they consider worthy of discussion.
Often, important sources of issues about which claims are made are found in textbooks or assignments. Teachers may develop assignments or assessments that prepare students to respond to state standards. This will prepare students to present and defend conclusions they have reached as a result of doing an experiment or research project.
Relative to qualifiers, students should identify words or statements that the person making the claim has included that may let the reader or hearer know that the claim is true only under certain conditions. The author may use words or phrases like “sometimes,” “if,” “unless,” etc. or even absolute qualifiers such and “always,” or “never.” The claim may only be true for women or under certain experimental conditions identified. Note that anything listed in this section must have been presented by the author of the claim. Something the reader or hearer thinks of that counters or invalidates the claim they are considering would be listed later in Section 8 as a counterargument, rebuttal or new question.
The qualifiers are identified along with the claim because they might be part of the sentence containing the claim or a second sentence explaining the qualifier. For example, if a claim were made that, “The earth’s temperature will rise 3 degrees in 50 years,” then the limitation or qualifier listed somewhere in the statement is “unless we take action now,” that could be written as one sentence: “The earth’s temperature will rise 3 degrees in 50 years (claim) unless we take action now” (qualifier).
Qualifiers may be presented close to the claim, later in the article or speech, or may, in fact, be implied. Close analysis is necessary to find limitations and qualifiers. They are, however, important to identify. They may be particularly important to identify in a student’s own presentation of findings related to an experiment or research.
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